Attachable pocket for a garment

ABSTRACT

An attachable pocket is configured to be attached to a garment at any desired location along a surface of the garment. The attachable pocket includes a sheet that forms a chamber that is used to store objects such that the attachable pocket protects the objects from elements or debris. An opening into the chamber is closed with a closure to block access into the chamber and to seal the attachable pocket with the object in the chamber.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), to U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/690,667, filed Jun. 27, 2018, thecontents of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety into thepresent application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a protective garment, moreparticularly, garments worn by users to avoid contact with paint, dust,or other unwanted materials.

BACKGROUND

Workers may wear a protective garment, such as a coverall, suits, pants,and shirts, on top of their clothing while working (e.g., painting orcleaning) to avoid spills or splatters of unwanted materials on theirclothing or skin. As such, it may be inconvenient for workers to accesspockets of their clothing. Additionally, even if the workers take outpersonal objects (e.g., mobile devices) from their pockets, the objectsmay collect debris from worksite or from workers' hands.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a garment system isdisclosed. The garment system includes a garment configured to be wornby a user and an attachable pocket, which is configured to beselectively attached to the garment. The attachable pocket includes anopening to receive an object to be carried inside the attachable pocketand a closure that is configured to seal the opening.

In some embodiments, the attachable pocket further includes an adhesivelayer that is adapted to adhere to a surface of the garment to mount theattachable pocket to any and all locations on the surface of thegarment.

In some embodiments, the attachable pocket is defined by a top side, abottom side, and a pair of longitudinal sides and has a front surfacefacing away from the garment and a rear surface opposite the frontsurface. The adhesive layer coupled to the rear surface such that therear surface is configured to be selectively attached to the garmentwith the adhesive layer.

In some embodiments, the adhesive layer is applied only along aperimeter of the rear surface of the attachable pocket.

In some embodiments, the adhesive layer is applied across the entirerear surface of the attachable pocket.

In some embodiments, the adhesive layer is applied only to the bottomside and both longitudinal sides of the attachable pocket.

In some embodiments, the attachable pocket further includes an outerbarrier and an inner barrier that are sealed to create a dual protectionagainst any debris from entering into the chamber.

In some embodiments, the outer barrier and the inner barrier are sealedwith adhesive material.

In some embodiments, the attachable pocket includes a monolayer sheethaving an adhesive layer around a perimeter of one side of the sheetsuch that, when the sheet is attached to the garment, the chamber isformed directly between the sheet and the garment.

In some embodiments, the adhesive layer is applied to a bottom side ofthe sheet, a first longitudinal side of the sheet and a secondlongitudinal side of the sheet, and a top side of the sheet is free fromthe adhesive layer so that the opening is created directly between thetop side and the garment.

In some embodiments, the closure includes an interlocking groove andridge that form a tight seal and a tab that is movable horizontallyalong the top side from one end to the other end of the closure to pressthe interlocking groove and ridge together to seal the opening.

In some embodiments, the attachable pocket is made from a transparentmaterial so that the object can be viewed and interacted with throughthe material while the object is still in the chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the following figures,in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a customizable garment system includinga garment and an attachable pocket;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the attachable pocket of FIG. 1having an adhesive layer;

FIG. 2A is a detailed elevation view of the adhesive layer of theattachable pocket of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an opening of the attachable pocket ofFIGS. 1-3; and

FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the attachable pocket of FIGS. 1-3with a mobile device placed in the attachable pocket of FIG. 1-3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary embodimentsthereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and willherein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, thatthere is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure tothe particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a garment system 10 includes a protectivegarment 12 and an attachable pocket 14 configured to be selectivelyattached to the garment 12 after the garment 12 has been manufactured toretrofit the garment 12 with the attachable pocket 14. In theillustrative embodiment, the attachable pocket 14 includes an adhesivematerial on one side of the attachable pocket 14, which is designed toadhere to any surface of the protective garment 12. In the illustrativeembodiment, the protective garment 12 is embodied as a water-resistantcoverall worn by a user to protect clothing and/or skin of the user bypreventing unwanted material from transferring to their clothing orskin. In some embodiments, the protective garment 12 may be embodied assuits, pants, and/or shirts.

Some coveralls worn by workers do not have pockets and the worker maydesire to cut a hole in the coverall to access a pocket on a garmentworn beneath the coverall. This compromises the coveralls ability toeffectively block unwanted particles from moving past the coverall andonto the worker beneath the coverall. In accordance with the presentdisclosure, the user or worker may place the attachable pocket 14 on anydesired area of the protective garment 12 to remove the desire to cutholes in the coverall. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the attachablepocket 14 may be placed on one side of the waistline of the protectivegarment 12. The attachable pocket 14 is configured to carry an objectplaced inside the attachable pocket 14 for convenience of the user. Theattachable pocket 14 is further designed to prevent the object fromcollecting unwanted materials, including debris such as dirt or paint.For example, the user may place a mobile device inside the attachablepocket 14, as described in greater detail below in FIG. 4. It should beappreciated that the attachable pocket 14 may be sized to store anysmall portable object, such as, for example, a calculator, a measuringtape, a camera, or a video camera.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the attachable pocket 14 is defined by foursides (i.e., a top side 18, a bottom side 24, two longitudinal sides 26)and has a front surface 38 and a rear surface 16. In the illustrativeembodiment, the attachable pocket 14 further includes an outer barrier34 (or sheet 34) and an inner barrier 36 (or sheet 36), as shown indetail in FIG. 2A. The outer barrier 34 and the inner barrier 36 aresealed (i.e., the front surface 38 and the rear surface 16 are adheredtogether to define the outer barrier 34 and the inner barrier 36) tocreate a dual protection against any debris from flowing into thechamber 28. The outer barrier 34 blocks unwanted debris from enteringthe attachable pocket from the front surface 38 while the inner barrier36 blocks unwanted debris from entering the attachable pocket 14 fromthe rear surface 16 (i.e. through the garment 12 when the attachablepocket is installed).

An adhesive layer 32 adapted to adhere to the surface of the protectivegarment 12 is positioned on the rear surface 16 of the attachable pocket14. In the illustrative embodiment, the adhesive layer 32 covers theperimeters of the rear surface 16 of the attachable pocket 14 around thetwo sides 26 and the bottom side 24. It should be appreciated that insome embodiments the adhesive layer 32 may cover a portion or an entiresurface of the rear surface 16. In the illustrative embodiment, theadhesive layer may include a solvent based, pressure-sensitive adhesiveor another suitable type of adhesive material. In the illustrativeembodiment, a strip may be attached to the adhesive layer 32 prior tothe attachable pocket 14 being applied to the garment 12. The strip maybe coated with a release layer such that the strip can be removed fromthe adhesive layer 32 to expose the adhesive layer 32 for attachment tothe garment 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, the attachable pocket 14 further includes an opening22 defined on the top side 18 of the attachable pocket 14, and a chamber28 that extends inwardly from the opening 22 toward the bottom side 24between the front surface 38 and the rear surface 16. In theillustrative embodiment, the chamber 28 is defined by the inner barrier36 of the attachable pocket 14. The opening 22 is configured to receivean object to be carried in the chamber 28. In one embodiment, the outerbarrier 34 and the inner barrier 36 define the chamber 28 therebetween.

The attachable pocket 14 further includes a closure 20 near the opening22 of the attachable pocket 14 to seal the opening 22 to prevent debrisfrom entering into the chamber 28 via the opening 22. In theillustrative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the closure 20 is embodiedas an interlocking groove and ridge that form a tight seal when pressedtogether. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments the closure20 may be an adhesive flap that extends from the opening 22 and isadapted to be folded onto the front surface 38 of the attachable pocket14 to seal the opening 22 of the attachable pocket 14. In someembodiments, the closure 20 may include a tab 21 that is movablehorizontally from one end to the other end of the closure 20 to pressthe interlocking groove and ridge to seal the opening 22.

In the illustrative embodiment, the attachable pocket 14 is made of atransparent and water-resistant material to allow the user to view anobject in the chamber 28. In some embodiments, the attachable pocket 14may be waterproof, dirtproof, and/or dustproof. However, it should beappreciated that the attachable pocket 14 may be made of any material tohold an object inside the attachable pocket 14.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the attachable pocket 14 is shown with a mobiledevice 30 placed inside the attachable pocket 14. In the illustrativeembodiment, the front surface 38 of the attachable pocket 14 is adaptedto allow the user to access a touch screen of the mobile device 30without removing the mobile device 30 from the attachable pocket 14.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, such an illustration and descriptionis to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, itbeing understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown anddescribed and that all changes and modifications that come within thespirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.

For example, in some embodiments, the attachable pocket 14 may beembodied as a monolayer sheet having an adhesive layer around theperimeter of the sheet that is configured to be attached to the garment12. When such a sheet is attached to the garment 12, a chamber iscreated between the sheet and the garment 12, and an opening is createdon the side that does not have the adhesive layer. In such embodiments,the sheet further includes an adhesive strap at the opening, which isadapted to be adhered to the garment 12 after placing an object insidethe chamber to seal the opening 22 of the sheet.

There exist a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arisingfrom the various features of the method, apparatus, and system describedherein. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the method,apparatus, and system of the present disclosure may not include all ofthe features described yet still benefit from at least some of theadvantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art mayreadily devise their own implementations of the method, apparatus, andsystem that incorporate one or more of the features of the presentinvention and fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosureas defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment system comprising: a garment configuredto be worn by a user; and an attachable pocket configured to beselectively attached to the garment to retrofit the garment with theattachable pocket, the attachable pocket defining a chamber and havingan opening to receive an object to be carried inside the chamber of theattachable pocket and a closure that is configured to seal the opening.2. The garment system of claim 1, wherein the attachable pocket furtherincludes an adhesive layer that is adapted to adhere to a surface of thegarment to mount the attachable pocket to any and all locations on thesurface of the garment.
 3. The garment system of claim 2, wherein theattachable pocket is defined by a top side, a bottom side, and a pair oflongitudinal sides and has a front surface facing away from the garmentand a rear surface opposite the front surface, the adhesive layercoupled to the rear surface such that the rear surface is configured tobe selectively attached to the garment with the adhesive layer.
 4. Thegarment system of claim 3, wherein the adhesive layer is applied onlyalong a perimeter of the rear surface of the attachable pocket.
 5. Thegarment system of claim 3, wherein the adhesive layer is applied acrossthe entire rear surface of the attachable pocket.
 6. The garment systemof claim 4, wherein the adhesive layer is applied only to the bottomside and both longitudinal sides of the attachable pocket.
 7. Thegarment system of claim 1, wherein the attachable pocket furtherincludes an outer barrier and an inner barrier that are sealed to createa dual protection against any debris from entering into the chamber. 8.The garment system of claim 6, wherein the outer barrier and the innerbarrier are sealed with adhesive material.
 9. The garment system ofclaim 1, wherein the attachable pocket includes a monolayer sheet havingan adhesive layer around a perimeter of one side of the sheet such that,when the sheet is attached to the garment, the chamber is formeddirectly between the sheet and the garment.
 10. The garment system ofclaim 9, wherein the adhesive layer is applied to a bottom side of thesheet, a first longitudinal side of the sheet and a second longitudinalside of the sheet, and a top side of the sheet is free from the adhesivelayer so that the opening is created directly between the top side andthe garment.
 11. The garment system of claim 1, wherein the closureincludes an interlocking groove and ridge that form a tight seal and atab that is movable horizontally along the top side from one end to theother end of the closure to press the interlocking groove and ridgetogether to seal the opening.
 12. The garment system of claim 1, whereinthe attachable pocket is made from a transparent material so that theobject can be viewed and interacted with through the material while theobject is still in the chamber.
 13. An attachable pocket comprising asheet with a top side, a bottom side, and a pair of longitudinal sides,the sheet having a front surface facing and a rear surface opposite thefront surface, and an adhesive layer coupled to the rear surface suchthat the rear surface is configured to be selectively attached to agarment with the adhesive layer to retrofit the garment with theattachable pocket at any and all locations along a surface of thegarment.
 14. The attachable pocket of claim 13, wherein the adhesivelayer is applied only along a perimeter of the rear surface of theattachable pocket.
 15. The attachable pocket of claim 14, wherein theadhesive layer is applied across the entire rear surface of theattachable pocket.
 16. The attachable pocket of claim 15, wherein theadhesive layer is applied only to the bottom side and both longitudinalsides of the attachable pocket.
 17. The attachable pocket of claim 13,wherein the attachable pocket is made from a transparent material sothat the object can be viewed and interacted with through the materialwhile the object is still in the chamber.
 18. The attachable pocket ofclaim 13, wherein the attachable pocket includes a first sheet and asecond sheet coupled to the first sheet along a perimeter of the firstand second sheets to define a chamber between the first and secondsheets with an opening into the chamber at the top side.
 19. Theattachable pocket of claim 18, wherein the front surface is on the firstsheet and the rear surface is on the second sheet and the adhesive layeris coupled to rear surface to locate the second sheet between theadhesive layer and the first sheet.
 20. The attachable pocket of claim18, further comprising a closure at the top side to couple the firstsheet and the second sheet together and close the opening to blockaccess to the chamber and the closure includes an interlocking grooveand ridge that form a tight seal when pressed together.